While the art industry suffers heavy loses, perhaps the budding new design-as-art industry will continue to thrive. Our friends over at Details were kind enough to send over word of a recent mini-feature they'd put together (meaning, if it's in their magazine, it's well on its way to becoming a larger trend, maybe), ranking their top five picks for design auction houses in the country, places to pick up an extremely pricey couch or a very strange, expensive chair you'll be too afraid to sit on. We do like that they gave Chicago a nice shout out with their pick of Richard Wright's great space here in town. Here's that one:

Wright 1440 West Hubbard Street, Chicago; wright20.com Founded eight years ago by auctioneer Richard Wright and his late wife, Julie, Wright practically created the auction market for high-end postwar furniture. The independent outfit had its breakthrough moment when it put one of California's landmark Case Study houses on the block in 2006. It was the kind of feat achieved only by behemoths, and Wright is using its newfound power-player reputation to expand its inventory in ways few houses do. This month's biannual Important Design auction will star pieces from early-20th-century French master Charlotte Perriand and Droog Design upstart Tejo Remy. Note: Though prices will start at $2,000, they're expected to reach nearly $500,000 for some prize items, so bring your AmEx Black.